Many World Cup Participants Scoring Poorly on Press Freedom

Despite the controversy over player bonuses and the near loss of coach Otto Pfister, the Togolese fans are over the moon about their country's first-ever appearance at a World Cup tournament. Even Togolese exiles such as Ali Tchassanti -- for years a resident of Wuppertal, Germany -- have been caught up in the excitement. A journalist, Tchassanti has set up his own Web site for the World Cup, and has helped find cheap accommodation for Togolese fans in Germany. In his enthusiasm, he's been prepared to look the other way when it comes to some of his country's problems, such as a poor record on press freedom.

"It's about the players who are playing for our country," he said. "We all stand united behind them."

Many Togolese share Tchassanti's view. The World Cup has brought the citizens of this tiny West African country together. The conditions that Togolese journalists normally have to work under have been forgotten for the moment.

"For months now, the government has been trying to show a different face," Tchassanti said. "For 13 months now, we haven't had any problems with press freedom. We believe the government is trying to loosen up a bit because of the World Cup. But people know that journalists can't write whatever they feel like."

Only Togolese citizens living abroad can risk criticizing the government under President Faure Gnassingbe -- and that only via the Internet. If a journalist in the capital, Lome, were to write something critical, he or she would have to reckon with severe consequences.

"You could be tortured, you could be put in prison, you could be killed," said Tchassanti. "It's always dangerous -- there's no real press freedom in Togo."

Togo not alone

Togo is not the only World Cup participant to score poorly when it comes to press freedom. According to Katrin Evers from the non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders, other nations in the tournament, such as Mexico, are also repeat offenders.

"No other Latin American country is more dangerous for journalists at the moment (than Mexico)," said Evers. "Two journalists have already been murdered so far this year, two were murdered last year and a third disappeared without a trace over a year ago."

Yaotzin Botello moved to Berlin from Mexico City five years ago, and since then has been working as a correspondent for the respected newspaper Reforma. He appreciates the security he enjoys in his new home.

"I know of a journalist who reported extensively about the brutal murders of women in Ciudad Juarez -- he was followed and beaten," Botello said. "You don't know if it's people from the government or people from the drug dealers, but in any case, someone wanted to prevent anything more from being written about the murdered women of Ciudad Juarez."

For 15 years now, poor young women working in the Mexican city close to the United States border have been the victims of ongoing abductions and murders. More than 400 murders have so far been documented.

Corruption forgotten in Mexico

"We don't know what the motive is," said Botello. "We don't know whether it's tied to drugs or the mafia, there are many theories. The assumption is that the police and local politicians are in on what's going on. The government repeatedly says that it's investigating, but weeks and months go by and nothing happens."

Journalists who attempt to report on corruption and prostitution in Mexico are stopped by a variety of means. They can't rely on any official protection, Botello said.

"There are practically no rules for doing journalism in Mexico," he said. "The government doesn't concern itself with reporters."

At the moment, these problems aren't being addressed. Mexico is in the grip of soccer fever, with the national team playing their second preliminary match on Friday.

"Mexico is a soccer-mad country," Botello said. "Politically, everything can be going wrong, economically too. The president could be corrupt -- all the politicians could be corrupt -- but soccer is the number one topic."

Even if everything is revolving around the World Cup at the moment, Reporters Without Borders is still trying to make its voice heard as it calls for greater press freedom, because without it, democracy is worth little, Evers said.

"For Reporters Without Borders, it's important that we use every situation to create awareness, especially for those countries which don't have a free press, in which people don't have access to unbiased information, in which they don't have free Internet access," she said. "In Tunisia and Iran, for example, certain Internet sites are blocked and people are put in prison for writing critical stories, so we need to use this platform to increase political pressure on such countries to allow press freedom and release imprisoned journalists."